I Can't Imagine a World Without You
by SkyDragon2996
Summary: An AU of the Race to the Edge episode Buffalord Soldier, in which Hiccup contracted the Scourge. When Astrid learns about a disturbing discovery that Hiccup has made, she realizes that his life depends on a dragon once thought to have never existed. FIX: I made changes to how I wrote it, removing OCs and rewriting the story so it isn't directly copying the episode's format.
1. An alarming discovery

(Okay, time for a bit of an explanation.

I've been watching Dragons: Race to the Edge, just because I felt nostalgic and wanted to catch up on it. Hopefully, I can finish watching so I can move on to other shows on Netflix. There's a lot more shows I want to see, but I feel like if I start another series right in the middle of watching another one, I'd be procrastinating.

But enough of that. Let me discuss the real deal now.

So, while watching RTTE, I'm already on to season 3. I watched the episode "Buffalord Soldier", and it really struck a chord with me. It's amazing how Hiccup was willing to do anything to help Astrid, especially in this episode. It really resonated with me.

And somehow, it gave me an idea for a fanfic. I had the idea of writing an AU of this episode in particular. So, this fanfic is essentially an AU of "Buffalord Soldier", in which Hiccup got the Scourge instead of Astrid. This gave me the idea of Astrid willing to save Hiccup through any means possible.

So, here is my fanfic. I hope you like this AU fanfic idea, and um...enjoy reading it!)

"This is perfect. The sea below us, the wind in our faces...This is perfect, huh bud?"

Hiccup was having the best time of his life. He watched his and Toothless' reflections in the churning ocean before them. It was already his turn to be on flight patrol, and so far, everything was going as planned. Who ever knew that flying on patrol would be so thrilling yet so easy? Every now and then, Hiccup wanted to take the time to get in some freestyle flying.

Yep, it was a good day for a mid-morning flight. _This is great_, Hiccup thought to himself as he and Toothless soared above the ocean below. _At least everything's going well on this patrol. But at least I know that Astrid and Fishlegs are helping keep everyone in line back at the Edge. Or, unless, something involving either Snotlout or the twins happens, and I'm not there. Oh well. Everything should be fine back at base._

As the dawn began to descend into early morning, Hiccup began to survey the perimeter below him. So far, nothing. Everything was left as it was. "Okay, everything's okay here. Nothing to report," Hiccup muttered as he put yet another checkmark on his checklist. "That's it done. Nothing but ocean for miles." He turned to Toothless. "Want to do some free flying, bud?" he asked.

Toothless purred in reply. Suddenly, his scales pricked up. He began to sniff something. "What you got, bud? Pick up somethin'?" Hiccup asked. He then noticed a lone fishing boat below him. It looked solitary.

Toothless uttered a low growl. "I see it too," Hiccup said. "Let's go check it out."

The pair then landed slowly on the deck of the boat, hoping not to disturb anybody. Fortunately, there was no one managing the ship; it was completely deserted. "Hmm, no," Hiccup said. "Nothing here." He turned to Toothless. "C'mon bud," he said. "Let's go." But before Hiccup mounted on to Toothless, he heard something.

"H-Help...us..."

Curious, Hiccup decided to investigate the source of the noise. He began to slowly enter the cabin of the ship, despite Toothless' growling protests. Rolling his eyes, Toothless decided to follow Hiccup.

The inside of the cabin was dark. "Hello?" Hiccup called out, hoping to reach someone. "Is anyone here?" There was no reply. Hiccup ventured through the doorway to see if anyone was inside. "Hello?" he called out once more. "Um, is anyone here?" Still no answer. The hallways were too dark for him to see anything. "Man, it's so dark inside," Hiccup said. He then grabbed a torch from the overhang. "Toothless, give me some light here," Hiccup told Toothless.

Toothless purred as he slowly emitted purple fire from his mouth, lighting up the torch. "Thanks, bud," Hiccup said. Toothless then stood watch at the doorway.

As Hiccup ventured inside the cabin, he began to hear more moaning coming from deep within the cabin. "H-Hello?" Hiccup called out, swallowing hard. "Um...I'm a dragon rider. I come in peace!" As he explored the cabin, the moaning slowly turned into hoarse whispering and hissing. Hiccup's heart began to beat faster as he walked into the hull of the boat.

As he slowly made his way through the doorway, he felt something. Hiccup slowly brought his torch in front of him. His eyes grew wide with terror. What lay before him was horrifying...

"Help...us..."

"Please, h-help...us..."

"Don't...leave...us..."

Hiccup was at a loss for words. He covered his mouth, almost wanting to vomit. This sight was more than he could bear to see. "No," Hiccup whispered, slowly backing away from the hull. "No! No way!" He turned to the exit. "I gotta go," he whispered.

But before he could make a break for the exit, Hiccup heard a hissing sound. He then felt someone grab his neck. Hiccup turned around, and a pale green hand snatched him by his shirt collar! "Aagh!" Hiccup screamed as he tried to run away. He then felt a sting in his neck; the hand had scratched him by the neck.

Hiccup ran outside to the deck, still visibly shaken by what he had seen. Toothless began to roar in distress as he saw Hiccup run toward him. Toothless then purred softly as he noticed the scar on Hiccup's neck. "It's all right, bud," Hiccup reassured Toothless. "I'm okay. It's just a wee scratch. No need to worry."

Hiccup then mounted Toothless. "Come on," he said. "Let's go home." Toothless nodded and took off into the sky, leaving the hapless boat to roam away into the distance.

...

Back at the Edge, things were as they were supposed to be: a bit of activity going on. Nothing unusual had been going on for the past few days. Astrid and Fishlegs had been put in charge of things to keep the riders in line while Hiccup was out on patrol. So far, everything had been going well for them. They were given the basic duties of revising their supplies and building a few weapons in the event of a dragon hunter invasion.

"Hmm, the Monstrous Nightmare gel supply seems pretty in check," Astrid muttered. "That's another item off my list." "Hey Fishlegs!" Astrid exclaimed just as she finished revising the wood and Monstrous Nightmare gel supply chests. "Astrid! Can you come over here for a second?" Fishlegs called out. After checking off the last item on her checklist, she and her dragon Stormfly flew up to Fishlegs' hut.

"What is it you wanted me to see?" Astrid asked. "Come check this out!" Astrid walked over to Fishlegs' desk, which was littered with hundreds of notes. "What have you been working on?" Astrid asked. "I spent the whole day looking at my dragon notes, and I decided to organize them into this handy chart!" Fishlegs said. "Wow, that's amazing!" Astrid said. "May I see it?" "Ooh, you are gonna be so blown away once you see this!" Fishlegs said excitedly.

Before Fishlegs could show Astrid his work, they heard an explosion. "What was that?" Fishlegs asked. "Whatever it was, it either has Snotlout or the twins written all over it," Astrid said. She and Fishlegs both got on their dragons and took off to find the source of the explosion.

The two riders then ventured to the shore of the archipelago, where they happened to find the twins launching gas and fire into small caverns. "All right, just one more blast, for fun!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "Whatever you say," Ruffnut said. "You heard the man, Barf. Gas it up!" Barf then opened his mouth and released his green gas into the cavern. "Now let's blow this sucker right up, Belch!" Tuffnut said, punching his fist in the air. Belch then clicked his jaws, ready to light the gas on fire.

"STOP!"

The twins turned around and saw Astrid and Fishlegs ride up to them. Thinking that one of them was going to get scolded, Tuffnut and Ruffnut pointed at each other. "What are you two doing?" Astrid demanded. "We were just, uh...well..." Ruffnut said. "Just doing a bit of pest control," Tuffnut said smugly. "Pest control?!" Astrid questioned. "What you two were doing looks like the opposite of pest control!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "You two almost blew up the archipelago!" "Then maybe we wanted to remodel the place a little," Tuffnut said. "You know, maybe sculpt the cliffs a bit..."

Before Astrid could scold the twins, she heard a crashing sound. "Fishlegs, you take care of this," Astrid said as she and Stormfly took off for the Edge. Fishlegs was left to lecture the twins.

Astrid then flew back to the base, where she found Snotlout standing next to a pile of splintered wood. "All right, what happened now?" Astrid asked. "I just thought the lumber looked a little crooked, so I thought I'd fix them a bit," Snotlout said. "Really? Because all I see is a bunch of splintered wood," Astrid said. "What happened?" "I think I may have seen a mouse, and it may have made me jump back a little," Snotlout said sheepishly. "And I know there's a wee bit of damage, but there's nothing a little Jorgenson brawn can't fix." Snotlout then shuffled his arms nervously. He knew that he was in for a beatdown from Astrid, or at least a hard punishment.

But before Astrid could scold Snotlout and lecture him next, she suddenly heard the flapping of wings. She turned around and gasped. Hiccup and Toothless had arrived back at the Edge! But for some reason, something felt off about Hiccup. He didn't greet Astrid or even smile when he saw her. This was unusual for Astrid; usually Hiccup would have greeted her with a smile, or at least scold the twins or something. But not this time.

"Hiccup!" Astrid exclaimed. "You're back!" "And might I say, we're happy to see you," Snotlout said sarcastically. Hiccup stayed silent. "Hello? No comebacks?" Snotlout questioned. "What's the matter with you?" Hiccup still said nothing. Astrid slowly approached Hiccup. "What happened out there?" Astrid asked. "Did you see something on patrol?"

Hiccup still fell silent. "Everyone," he muttered. "In the clubhouse. Now."

...

Pretty soon, Hiccup called the riders back to the clubhouse for a meeting. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell them what he found on patrol. But still, he had to work up the courage to tell them eventually.

By then, everyone had arrived in the clubhouse, waiting for Hiccup to break the news to them. "Huh, strange," Fishlegs said. "Hiccup doesn't just show up and call us here for a meeting. It's not like him." "I know," Astrid said. "But something must have alarmed him, otherwise he wouldn't have called us here." "Well, I just hope he gets this over with. I still want to go back to blowing up stuff," Tuffnut said. "Yeah. Barf and Belch are hungry for destruction," Ruffnut added.

"Are you kidding me?" Astrid asked. "You two really have to get your heads—"

"Guys."

Astrid and the other riders then turned to face Hiccup. "What happened out there, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked. "Were there dragon hunters? Or trapped dragons?" "No," Hiccup said. "Let me guess: was it Viggo you saw?" "No," Hiccup said. "Well come on. Lay it on us," Fishlegs said. "What did you see?" "I...It was a fishing boat," Hiccup said. "Just drifting out there in the ocean, all by itself."

"That's it? Just a measly little fishing boat?" Snotlout asked. "Snotlout!" Fishlegs hissed. "Come on, tell us more," Astrid said softly. "What was in that boat?" "What I saw in there was—" Hiccup felt his breath caught in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to tell them. "Well, what did you see?" Fishlegs asked. "I-I don't want to talk about it," Hiccup said, getting up from his seat and walking away.

"The meeting's over?" Tuffnut asked excitedly. "All right! Let's go blow up some stuff!" But before he could run for the exit, Astrid stopped him short. "I don't think so," Astrid said. Then she turned to Hiccup. "Dang it, you always gotta ruin the fun," Tuffnut grumbled, sitting down.

"What did you see?" Astrid told Hiccup. "I saw bodies," Hiccup said. "There were bodies inside the hull. It was horrible. I couldn't stay long enough." "There were bodies?" Astrid asked. "Yeah, you should have seen it," Hiccup said. "It scared me. Their skin, it was all pale and green. They looked hideous. I just ran out of there while I had the chance." Fishlegs heard what Hiccup said and gasped.

"Gosh, that's terrible," Astrid said. "Were there any survivors?" "Just one," Hiccup said. "The others weren't so lucky." "Then we should go back out there and help them," Astrid said. "Stormfly!" Soon, Astrid's Deadly Nadder Stormfly galloped toward Astrid. But before Astrid could mount her dragon, Hiccup stopped her. "No Astrid, you can't go," Hiccup said. "It's too dangerous for you to go there. And besides, it's too late for them." "Oh," Astrid said as she dismounted from Stormfly. "I understand." "Thanks," Hiccup said, holding Astrid's hand.

"Um, you guys?" Fishlegs asked. "What is it?" Hiccup asked. "When you said 'pale green skin', I just realized something," Fishlegs said. "Something really awful." "Yeah, we know what you're gonna say," Hiccup said. "If I remember correctly," Fishlegs asked, "I believe pale green skin could be associated with..." "With what?" Astrid asked. Fishlegs had a dark look in his face. "The Scourge of Odin," he said.

"Wait, wait, wait," Snotlout said. "Did you just say 'Scourge of Odin'?" "Hey, no need to cause a panic, okay?" Astrid said. "No, no!" Snotlout said. "Why would I be panicking about the single deadliest plague that tore through the archipelago centuries ago and wiped out every Viking village? Yep, I'm definitely not panicking!" "Really?" Astrid asked. "Snotlout, it's okay," Hiccup told him. "I got out of that boat as fast as I—" "Nope, don't you touch me, Hiccup!" Snotlout said, distancing himself from Hiccup, for fear that he was going to catch the illness. "Quick, Hookfang! Let's get out of here before I'm infected!" Snotlout then mounted his dragon, preparing to take off.

"Wait, wait, wait. Stop," Astrid told Snotlout before he even had a chance to fly out of the clubhouse. "You don't even know if Hiccup has the Scourge. Maybe he didn't catch it." "Right, I knew that," Snotlout said fearfully. He was still clearly worried for himself. "Wow, I can't even imagine if Hiccup did get the Scourge," Ruffnut said. "I can't even imagine anything," Tuffnut said. "If one of us is sick, then you know what that means." "We burn our clothes?" Ruffnut asked. "You know what? Good idea," Tuffnut said. "Then let the clothes burning commence! Barf, Belch! Light it up!" The Zippleback was ready to release gas and ignite it.

"Guys, lets not panic," Astrid told them. "We don't know for sure if Hiccup does wind up with the Scourge or not. Maybe he didn't catch it, maybe he did. But there's no absolute answer yet. We just have to piece it all together so we know." She then turned to Hiccup. "You guys can go now," he told them.

As the others proceeded to leave the clubhouse, only Astrid was left standing with Hiccup. She then turned to Hiccup, who had his back turned to her. Astrid put a hand to Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup?" she asked. "Are you feeling okay?" Hiccup shrugged and smiled a little. "Yeah Astrid, Im okay," he told her. "Honest." Astrid smiled. She knew Hiccup would be fine. "So, you want to go check on the supply lines?" she asked. "Not right now," Hiccup told her. "I'm a little tired. I just want to be alone for a bit." "Okay, whatever you say," Astrid said, patting Hiccup on the back.

As she left, Hiccup smiled a little. But a part of him was still worried. Should he tell her?

Just maybe...


	2. The search for the Buffalord

Later that night, the other riders had gone to bed. Hiccup went into his clubhouse to retire for the night. "Here you go, bud," he said as he gave Toothless a wooden plate of fish. Toothless panted happily as he chomped on the fish greedily. Hiccup grabbed a piece of bread and ate it as he sat on his bed. As he was chewing, he began to feel a tightness in his chest. Toothless noticed Hiccup grabbing his chest and purred softly.

"No no, it's okay. I'm fine," Hiccup said. "Maybe it'll go away if I sleep." He then blew out his candle and went to bed. But it wasn't until halfway through the night that he couldn't sleep at all. Now Hiccup's head began to hurt. His stomach began to feel very weird. Toothless pricked his head up and slowly walked to Hiccup's bedside. Toothless purred as he nudged Hiccup's hand.

"Hey bud," Hiccup mumbled. Toothless moaned in concern. "Go get Astrid," Hiccup told him.

Toothless nodded in reply and bounded for the door. He then began climbing toward Astrid's hut. There, Toothless found Astrid sleeping in her bed. Stormfly was sleeping on the floor, quietly snoring. Toothless crept around Stormfly and made his way toward Astrid's bed. Climbing up a little, Toothless growled at Astrid softly. She didn't respond. Then, Toothless nudged Astrid. "Uuuurrrggh," Astrid grumbled. "What is it now?" She then opened her eyes. It was Toothless. "Toothless?" Astrid asked. "What's wrong?" Toothless moaned and gestured his head toward the door. "Is it Hiccup?" Astrid asked. Toothless nodded in reply.

After Astrid finally got up, she followed Toothless to Hiccup's hut, which was lit by the candlelight inside. Inside, Astrid found Hiccup sitting on his bed. He was holding his head in his hand. "Hiccup?" Astrid asked. "Hiccup, you okay?" "Oh, hey Astrid," Hiccup mumbled. His voice was now beginning to take on a rasping quality. " I see you're up this late." "Toothless woke me up," Astrid said. "He must be worried about something."

"That's just Toothless," Hiccup said. "He's always worried for something." "But he seemed a little spooked, so I figured it might have something to do with you. You're sure you're okay?" "Yeah yeah, I'm fine, I—" Hiccup said, but he began coughing. Astrid then noticed the scar on Hiccup's neck. "Hiccup," Astrid said as she gently tried to touch the scar. "No no, that's nothing!" Hiccup said, hurriedly covering the scar.

"Hiccup!" Astrid said sternly. "Tell me the truth right now." "Okay, I'll tell you," Hiccup said. "When I was in that fishing boat, I panicked once I saw the bodies lying there. When I tried to escape, someone grabbed me by the shoulder. And whoever did gave me the scar." "Then that means that person may have given you the Scourge," Astrid said. "The Scourge? Me?" Hiccup said. "I could never...never—"

Hiccup suddenly leaned over to the side of his bed and began coughing violently. Gasping for breath, his coughing turned into vomiting. "Hiccup? Hiccup!" Astrid said, grasping Hiccup's shoulders as he coughed out whatever was in his mouth.

At that moment, Fishlegs and Snotlout heard the commotion and rushed to Hiccup's hut. "Astrid, what's going on?" Fishlegs asked. "I can't believe I had to wake up in the middle of the night for this," Snotlout muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Guys, I don't think Hiccup's doing too well," Astrid said, still holding on to Hiccup's shoulders as Hiccup continued vomiting. "You think it might be the Scourge?" Fishlegs asked. "Possibly," Astrid said. "He's already showing signs of it."

"Wait, you two are saying Hiccup's got the Scourge?" Snotlout asked, panicking. "No I don't!" Hiccup said. "I'm completely fine—" Hiccup began coughing even more. "One of you guys is going to have to head to Berk," Astrid said. "We need to know if there's a possible cure for the Scourge." Both Fishlegs and Astrid stared at Snotlout. "What are you two looking at me for?" Snotlout asked. "Waaaaiiit, you're not gonna send me flying to Berk in the middle of the night." "Okay," Astrid said. "Would you rather stay here and keep Hiccup company while I head to Berk?"

"Actually, now that you mention it, today seemed like a good day to fly anyway," Snotlout said, backing away. "Hookfang!" As if on cue, Hookfang appeared just as Snotlout leapt on to his dragon. Then, the two took off for Berk. "Everything will be fine, Hiccup," Astrid said. "Hopefully."

...

A few hours later, as the night descended into early dawn, Astrid and Fishlegs stayed in Hiccup's hut to keep watch over Hiccup. As time passed, the minutes seemed to turn into hours. And Astrid was getting worried. She kept pacing around, wondering if Snotlout was ever going to get back. "Where is he?" Astrid muttered under her breath. "I thought he'd be back by now." Hiccup watched her pace around, and it was beginning to annoy him.

"Astrid. Relax," Hiccup said, getting up and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I can't relax knowing that you have a sickness," Astrid said. "I'm worried for you." "Don't be," Hiccup told her.

"How's he doing?" Fishlegs asked once he peeped inside the hut. "He's denying that he's got it," Astrid said. "Keeps brushing it off as nothing." "That does sound like Hiccup," Fishlegs asked. "But the signs are all there." "What have you gotten so far?" Astrid asked. "Like, is there a cure?"

"Not really," Fishlegs told her. "Only thing i know is that the Scourge acts swiftly, overtaking its victims in less than three moons." "One moon's passed," Astrid said, watching the night sky descend into early dawn. "Who knows how long until another one comes and goes..."

Fishlegs looked outside. "Guys, Snotlout's back!" he said. "It's about time, too," Astrid said. Snotlout arrived back at the clubhouse as he had dismounted from Hookfang. "How's he feeling?" Snotlout asked. "Hiccup's resting, so it should be a good sign," Astrid told him. "Guys, I'm okay. Really," Hiccup said.

Fishlegs then took a look at the notes that Snotlout came back with. "Well, what does it say?" Astrid asked. "Ah, here it is," Fishlegs said after studying the writing carefully. "It says here that the cure for the Scourge is a green solution made from the saliva of a Buffalord dragon." He paused after that last line. "A Buffalord dragon?" he asked again.

"Well, what does it say about the Buffalord?" Astrid asked. Fishlegs sighed hesitantly. "Well Astrid," he started to say, "it's just that—"

"There's no more."

Astrid turned to Hiccup. "Oh, that's right," she said. "There is no more Buffalord. Because they were all hunted to extinction." "She's right. There's been no more Buffalord since the last time the Scourge spread through the archipelago," Hiccup told them. Astrid wouldn't have it. "But they can't all be gone," she said. "There's got to at least be one out there. How we'll find it, I don't know."

"Astrid," Hiccup mumbled, getting up. "Maybe I should take over for this." But before he could reach for the notes, Astrid pushed him back gently. "No way, Hiccup," she told him. "You need to rest. There is no way I'm letting you get weaker by the minute."

"Astrid, please," Hiccup said, slowly putting Astrid's hand down. "I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm-"

But before Hiccup could finish, he collapsed, only to be caught by Astrid. "Hiccup!" Astrid exclaimed as soon as she caught Hiccup. "You okay?"

Hiccup smiled faintly at her. "Don't worry about me!" Hiccup mumbled. "I'm fine!"

But Hiccup did not seem fine; he kept on coughing as Astrid walked him over to his bed. She really wanted him to rest and take it easy.

...

Later on that day, Astrid and the others had retreated back to the clubhouse. They had to know more about the Buffalord and its whereabouts somewhere. But Astrid knew nothing about the Buffalord. Hiccup would at least know something. So she brought him along to the clubhouse, under the condition that he kept resting.

"Did you have to bring him here?" Snotlout asked Astrid. "Yes," Astrid said. "Maybe Hiccup can at least help with search, but I've told him that he has to rest." "But-" Snotlout started to say. "And I've told him not to go near you," Astrid assured him.

She then turned to Fishlegs. "You got anything?" she asked. "Now that you mention it, I have been looking through my dragon eye research and found a bit of old notes," Fishlegs told her. "Didn't think to look at them at first, but i sort of found this.." He held up a sketch of a large dragon.

"The Buffalord!" Astrid said, taking the sketch. She then sighed in dismay. "What is it?" Hiccup mumbled. "There's nothing here," she said. "No location, nothing at all."

"There is something," Fishlegs said, pointing to the sketch. "It's got big, ram like horns and lives somewhere on the plains." Astrid looked at him with dismay. "Or you know what? I'll keep looking, don't worry," Fishlegs said, continuing to pour through his notes, hoping to find something.

"Wait a second," Hiccup muttered, putting his hand up. "What is that over there?" He pointed to some tracings. "That? It's nothing," Fishlegs answered. "Just some old Dragon Eye tracings. There's nothing there."

"No no, there's something else," Hiccup mumbled, pointing to the sketches. "It looks like a landmark or something." He coughed a little as he laid down.

Astrid looked at the sketches one more time. "You know what? I think Hiccup is on to something," she said, looking at the sketch once more. "I think...I think this must be an island of some sort! And that might be our first clue to the Buffalord!"

"So...what exactly are you saying?" Snotlout asked. "C'mon, you guys," Astrid said as she strode over to Stormfly. "Hold up. Where are we heading?" Tuffnut askes. "Hope we can blow up stuff there," Ruffnut added. She was clearly ready for action.

"We're going to that island and hopefully find the Buffalord," Astrid said. But before she could mount Stormfly, Fishlegs stopped Astrid short. "Wait a minute," Fishlegs said. "What are we going to do with Hiccup?" "What are you talking about?" Astrid asked.

"Astrid, I don't think Hiccup is in any condition to fly right now," Fishlegs said. "We should leave him here to rest. And we can get the cure and bring it back here to the Edge."

Astrid was adamant. "I'm not taking that risk," she said. "We need to find that dragon and help Hiccup. I may not have his skills in taming dragons, but we have to at least try."

Fishlegs nodded in agreement. He then helped Hiccup mount Toothless as the others got on their dragons. And soon, they took off from the Edge.

...

Soon enough, the riders took off on their dragons and were already en route to find the Buffalord. Occasionally, Astrid loomed over her shoulder to check if Fishlegs was keeping an eye on Hiccup. So far, things were okay.

"Astrid!" Snotlout exclaimed. "Yes, Snotlout?" Astrid asked. "How much farther until we reach this island you're talking about?" Snotlout asked. "I hope it's not much farther," Astrid told him. "May take us a while to get there," Astrid answered. Meanwhile, Sbotlout could only let out a sigh of desperation.

A few hours seemed to pass by as the others kept on flying. By then, the dragons slowly began to feel tired.

"How are you holding up?" Astrid asked Hiccup as he and Toothless flew up to her. "Okay, I guess," Hiccup told her. "Toothless wants to rest a bit." "But we haven't reached the island yet," Astrid said. "Just hold up for a bit."

Hiccup nodded. At that moment, he started to feel dizzy. His stomach grumbled and felt strange. "A-Astrid," Hiccup managed to say, his hand over his mouth. "Astrid!"

"Okay guys, let's dismount over there on that clearing," Astrid told the others. "We'll get some water and we'll be on our way." The riders then flew towards a nearby island to rest.

On the clearing, Astrid gave Stormfly plenty of water to drink while Fishlegs tended to Hiccup as he vomited in the bushes. As Toothless was lapping up water from the stream, he suddenly pricked his head. Stormfly did the same and growled at Astrid. "You get somethin', girl?" Astrid asked. Stormfly nodded her head yes.

Astrid then went over to Hiccup. "You all right?" she asked. "Astrid, please. I'm fine," Hiccup mumbled. "Fishlegs, I think the dragons found something," Astrid told Fishlegs. "What is it?" Fishlegs asked. "I don't know. Follow me!" Astrid said as she and the others went to follow the dragons. At that moment, Astrid noticed Hiccup following.

"No no no, Hiccup," Astrid told Hiccup as she stopped him. "You need to stay right here and rest." "But I want to help," Hiccup said. "Out of the question," Astrid said as she helped him onto Toothless. "Toothless will take you to a nearby clearing so you can rest."

Toothless then carried Hiccup over to one side of the clearing. Then, she ran to follow the other riders.

...

Astrid then caught up to the others, who followed the dragons to a pile of dragon excrement. "What is that?" Astrid asked.

"Strange," Fishlegs said as he examined a piece of the droppings. "I've never seen droppings colored like these ones before. And I've studied all dragon droppings before." He then brought it to his nose and sniffed it. "Gross," Snotlout mumbled. "What do you know?" Fishlegs said after smelling it. "Huh, doesn't smell at all. Smells like grass. And these are fresh," Fishlegs said. "That means the Buffalord could be close by!" Astrid said.

At that moment, Astrid peered over her shoulder and noticed a trail of footprints. "Guys, come look at this," she said. "Tracks." "Whoa, they're huge!" Snotlout said. "It could be a monster yak rat!" Tuffnut said. "Or an albino yak rat!" Ruffnut said as she looked at the footprints.

"Unlikely, guys," Astrid said as she looked closer at the tracks. "These are dragon tracks. And if these are dragon tracks, they could belong to the Buffalord." "How will we know that?" Snotlout asked. "We're just gonna have to follow them," Fishlegs said.

Together, the riders began to follow the tracks all around the island. They followed the tracks throughout the island, until they reached a stop.

"Wait, that can't be it," Astrid said. "What is it?" Fishlegs asked. "The tracks stopped. There's nothing else," Astrid said. "There is something! Come look!" Fishlegs said, picking up something from the ground.

"You got something?" Astrid asked. "Check this out!" Fishlegs said, holding up the object. It looked like a thorn.

"What is that thing?" Astrid asked Fishlegs. "It looks like a spine of some sort," Fishlegs said, examining the spine up closer. "And from the looks of it, it's a dragon spine. That could mean only one thing." "The Buffalord must be close!" Astrid said. "Then what are we waiting for?" Fishlegs asked. "We should go and see!"

Together, the riders all raced to the edge of the island. But as they got there, they couldn't see anything. "Well, where is it?" Snotlout asked. "I don't know," Astrid said. "It should be here somewhere." She then turned to Fishlegs. "Fishlegs!" Astrid said. "What else do we have on the Buffalord?" "Hmm," Fishlegs said. "Large footprints, green-colored droppings, sharp spine...We must be close!"

"Guys!" Astrid called out. "Over here!"

The riders then ran to Astrid, who was pointing at something in the distance. Over on the grassy hills, there appeared to be something around the plains.

"Is that what I think it is?" Fishlegs asked. "Is it...?" Snotlout asked.

Astrid took a few more steps closer. Then, she gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes. There was a large dragon with horns, covered with spikes, munching on the grass gently.

"The Buffalord!" Astrid exclaimed joyfully. "It's really there!" She then turned to the other riders excitedly. "Guys, we did it! We really found it!" She then ran toward the dragon, with the other riders lagging behind as they ran up to the clearing.

Surprisingly enough, the dragon didn't seem to budge as the riders approached it. Instead, it kept on chewing the grass as gently as possible. "Oh my gosh!" Fishlegs whispered excitedly. "I finally get to see a Buffalord up close! This is the most exciting day of my life!" "Hey, you know what else is exciting?" Snotlout asked. "Stop talking!" "Guys!" Astrid said. "Let's just get the saliva and take it back to Hiccup, okay?" "Oof, you're right. You're right," Snotlout said. "You guys heard the lady. Get moving."

Fishlegs then handed Astrid a wooden cup. Quietly, Astrid approached the Buffalord, slowly bringing the cup to its mouth. As intended, saliva began dripping from its mouth.

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap. The Buffalord began to growl.

"Um, guys?" Astrid told the other riders. "We better run. Now!"

Then, the Buffalord began to roar ferociously as it began to attack the riders. Inflating its body, it began to shoot out sharp spikes at the riders! The others ran for cover to avoid getting hit by the Buffalord's spikes.

"Is everyone okay?" Astrid asked. "Sound off!" Fishlegs and the twins all groaned in reply. "Yow! That thing got me on my private place!" Snotlout said as he removed a spine from his butt. "Great. Giant spiky boy just tried to attack us," Tuffnut said. "So, what's your new plan, Astrid?" Ruffnut asked.

Astrid thought hard. At last, she had an idea. "Fishlegs, have we got any rope?" she asked. "I think I do!" Fishlegs said as he reached into the pack on Meatlug's saddle and pulled out a rope and net.

Working together, the riders placed a net around the Buffalord. They each tied one end to the saddles of their dragons. "Okay guys," Astrid called out. "On my mark, we pull, okay?" The other riders nodded in reply. "Okay," Astrid called out. "Let's pull!"

The other riders then took off at a leveled height, trying to hoist the Buffalord from its resting place. But once again, the dragon refused to cooperate as it prepared to attack. Growling and roaring, it began to inflate its body once more. It began to shoot even more spikes at the riders!

Losing their balance, the ropes snapped from the saddles. "Everyone okay?" Astrid asked as she regained her bearings. "Seriously?!" Snotlout exclaimed. "What is it with this dragon?" "I don't understand," Astrid asked as she dismounted from Stormfly. "Why would it attack us like that?" "Huh," Fishlegs said. "It appears that the Buffalord seems at peace so long as he's on his territory."

"Well, at least we've got the cure to-No!" Astrid exclaimed as she peered into the cup. It was completely empty!

"What is it?" Fishlegs asked. "The saliva dried up," Astrid said, showing him the cup. "We don't have a lot of time. We have to get this back to Hiccup." "But Astrid," Fishlegs told her, "we can't get this dragon to move from its place. If we can't bring the cure to Hiccup..."

"Then we bring Hiccup to the Buffalord!" Astrid concluded. She then turned to Snotlout. "This is your department," Astrid told him. "Go!" "No way!" Snotlout said. "I'm not even going to stand a chance if he infects me!" Astrid then gave him the evil eye.

"Okay, okay! I'll go!" Snotlout said, mounting Hookfang. "You heard the woman, Hookfang! Let's go!" At that moment, Snotlout and Hookfang then took off to find Hiccup and Toothless.

Astrid could only wait and worry. She hoped Hiccup would be all right.


	3. Capture and Recovery

Moments later, Snotlout and Hookfang both arrived back to the clearing, with Hiccup and Toothless in tow. "Oh no," Fishlegs whispered. "Hiccup's not looking so hot." Astrid then went over to where Toothless was touching down.

As Toothless landed on the island, Hiccup fell from Toothless' saddle and collapsed into Astrid's arms. Astrid tearfully looked at Hiccup. Hiccup wasn't looking so good. The color had washed out of his skin, making him deathly pale. Hiccup's eyes had dark circles under them, and his nose had faded to a sickly shade of pink. Moaning, Hiccup nuzzled closer to Astrid weakly.

"Shh," Astrid whispered. "It's okay. Just relax. We'll get through this, I know it. You just gotta keep fighting there. And be strong." The other riders watched silently as Astrid took Hiccup to a nearby boulder. She then had him sit down and rest. By then, Hiccup was breathing in small gasps.

Astrid sighed heavily. "Please, you gotta stay with us, Hiccup," she whispered softly. "We can't imagine what we'd do without you." Sniffing a little and swallowing, Hiccup reclined on the boulder a little.

"Okay, let's move. Quickly now," Astrid said as she headed toward the Buffalord. Astrid then began to fill the cup with the dragon's saliva. As soon as it was full, Astrid quickly ran to Hiccup. The riders then watched and waited with anticipation as Astrid gave Hiccup the medicine. "Fingers crossed," Fishlegs said, crossing his fingers hopefully.

After she had filled the cup with enough saliva, Astrid closed her eyes. "Please," she whispered to herself. "Please let this save Hiccup. I don't want anything bad to happen to him." Then, she opened her eyes again. She had her mind set.

Astrid then brought the cup to Hiccup's mouth. "There," she said. "There you go." Hiccup sipped the liquid slowly. Nothing changed. Astrid was nervous. "Um, guys! Nothing's happening!" she said. "Maybe the antidote takes some time for it to work?" Fishlegs guessed. Hiccup then began coughing with slight, hacking coughs. He was now breathing heavily. "No no no, something's not right!" Astrid said.

"Didn't the notes say that the Buffalord saliva must be green?" Snotlout asked. "It says the green solution will cure the Scourge," Fishlegs said. "'Green solution'. Cure.' That's all I got. Nothing else." "But the Buffalord's saliva is clear," Astrid said. "What is the green solution, even?" "Uh..." Fishlegs started to say, until he began hearing some crunching noises. He looked over and found the twins sitting down and munching on some grass.

"Okay, seriously?" Fishlegs asked. "Hiccup's life is at stake, and you two are eating at a time like this?" "Unbelievable," Snotlout muttered. "You two are just impossible." "Hey, you can't blame me for dealing with stress," Tuffnut said. "A lot of people handle stress differently. This is our way of dealing with just that. Besides, I want to have pleasant-smelling poop like the Buffalord here, okay? So we're just eating what he's eating." "Who doesn't?" Ruffnut added in.

Astrid then noticed something. The twins had green stuff all over their face. "Wait a minute...that's it!" she exclaimed. "What's it?" Snotlout asked. "Fishlegs, you said the solution was supposed to be green, right?" Astrid asked. "Yeah?" Fishlegs asked.

"I think the twins gave us the answer to our situation," Astrid told him. "The antidote isn't green because the dragon isn't eating enough of the herbs!" "Which probably explains why the Buffalord refused to leave in the first place!" Fishlegs concluded. "It needs to be close to its food supply! Astrid, you're a genius!"

"That means we have to feed the Buffalord enough herbs to make the green solution we need!" Astrid said. "I hear you loud and clear. Me and the others are on it!" Fishlegs told her as he ran to join Snotlout.

Astrid the turned to Hiccup. Touching his shoulder gently, Astrid smiled. "You're doing great, Hiccup," she told him. "Just keep holding on."

Hiccup shivered a bit. "Please," Astrid told him. "Do it for me." Sniffing hard, Hiccup nodded to Astrid. Toothless stayed behind and nestled closer to Hiccup.

...

After gathering enough herbs, Astrid and Snotlout slowly approached the Buffalord, careful not to arouse it. "Okay, big guy," Snotlout said. "You've worked up enough of an appetite to kill us earlier. So go ahead and eat up!"

The dragon then approached Astrid carefully. Sniffing the herbs in her hand, the dragon began chewing them. "There, that's it," Astrid whispered. "There you go. Eat up, big fella."

However, Hiccup sensed something was off.

"Astrid," he whispered. "Astrid!" "Hiccup, please rest," Astrid said. "I think we're getting close. So you just relax and let us..."

"Over there! Get the dragon!"

Suddenly, dragon hunters appeared and chased the other riders away from the Buffalord. "What the-?" Fishlegs exclaimed. "Guys, we got dragon hunters!" Astrid said. "Come on!" They ran away as more and more hunters came with weapons and nets. They were here to capture the Buffalord!

"No!" Astrid cried out. "Stop! You can't take the dragon!" But as she charged for the hunters, Fishlegs pulled her back. "Fishlegs! We have to get to the dragon!" she cried. "We can't let you get kidnapped by them!" Fishlegs told her calmly. "You never would have made it."

"Tie it down!" the hunters cried out. "Keep it restrained!" The hunters then wrapped rope tightly around the Buffalord and covered it with heavy netting. "Make sure he doesn't escape!" another hunter said as the others pulled the rope, attempting to move it to their wagon. "Please! Stop it!" Astrid exclaimed. "You don't know what mistake you're all making! We need it!"

"Take him to the ship," a familiar voice ordered.

Astrid turned around and glared angrily. It was Viggo!

"Viggo," Astrid growled. "I should've known." Viggo turned around and found Astrid, still in Fishlegs' grasp. "Well well well, if it isn't the selfless dragon rider herself," he said. "We finally meet. It was so thoughtful of you to save this dragon for us and waited so long for our arrival."

"Viggo, you don't realize what you're doing is wrong," Astrid said. "We came here before you ever did, and if you're thinking of stealing this dragon, hen you'll have to deal with me first! We need this dragon and you can't take him away from us!"

"You need the dragon?" Viggo sneered. "Stupid dragon rider. What ever for?" Viggo then heard a coughing noise, and he turned around. He then found Hiccup lying on the rock, where Toothless and Snotlout kept him company. Viggo laughed as he saw this. "Oh, now this is precious," he said. "Seems your fellow leader is rendered too weak and sickly to help you all. It's too bad that he'll have to be left for dead if he doesn't recover soon."

"But that's impossible," Astrid said. "Hiccup and Fishlegs said there was no more Buffalord anywhere on this island. How did you even find it in the first place? It just doesn't add up."

"Finally, some excitement," Snotlout said, mounting on to Hookfang. Astrid heard Snotlout and slowly mounted Stormfly. The others then followed suit and mounted their dragons as they prepared to attack. Then, they took to the skies to attack the dragon hunters as they attempted to drag the Buffalord away. "Got dragon riders incoming," Ryker informed Viggo.

Viggo smiled. "Launch an attack," he ordered. "Make sure they don't harm our bounty."

Then, the riders began attacking the dragon hunters. "All right! Now we can really blow stuff up!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "Gas it, Barf!" Ruffnut yelled out as Barf released green gas from his mouth and let it wrap around the hunters. "I love it when it goes according to plan," Tuffnut smiled. "Light it up, Belch!" Belch nodded his head and ignited the gas, causing a fiery explosion. Most of the hunters escaped from the explosion; they were relentless. "Spikes, Stormfly!" Astrid exclaimed. Stormfly squawked and growled, shooting tail spikes from her tail and attempting to strike the hunters.

"These guys just can't seem to give up!" Snotlout shouted. "You guys!" Astrid shouted. "We have to make sure the Buffalord doesn't get injured! Only attack the hunters! Just avoid hitting the dragon!" She then faced Viggo. "Viggo, please," Astrid pleaded. "Release the dragon. If we don't get that cure, Hiccup might die."

"I'd like to say otherwise," Viggo told her. "I am aware of my own actions. This dragon here will give us an exceedingly unique bounty on the market. And you, my dear, should have left it alone. After all, that fishing boat was never a suitable place for you, your friends, or your leader. Your leader Hiccup should have left when he had the chance, but he was too sympathetic to leave it." Astrid raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" Fishlegs questioned. "Tell me now!"

"What do you mean? How did you know about the fishing boat?" Astrid asked. "The deal is, we're simply referring to supply and demand," Viggo told her. "Once I know where to get that supply, I generate the demand." He turned to Ryker. "What do you think?" he asked. "Hmm, knowing that," Ryker told him, "I'd double the price." "I was also thinking triple," Viggo answered, winking.

Astrid was furious. "I'm gonna tear you to shreds!" Astrid yelled out. "You're a beast!" Brandishing her ax, she charged for Viggo, but Fishlegs and Snotlout restrained her. "A beast?" Viggo questioned. "I'm surprised you would think that, my dear. I prefer the term 'intellectual business man'." "And what do you think you'll do if the Buffalord went extinct for good?" Astrid asked. "Now, now," Viggo said, silencing her. "Let's not go too much into the 'what-ifs'. If you'll excuse us, we have a dragon to collect."

"Move the dragon to our ship!" Ryker commanded. The hunters all nodded and pushed the cart with the Buffalord in tow to their ship. "Stormfly," Astrid ordered. Stormfly roared as she got ready to release her tail spikes. "My dear Astrid," Viggo told her. "You better think twice before you start acting irrationally about stealing our bounty. This dragon will be quite useful." "And what do you suppose that'll do with your profits?" Astrid growled.

"As I've told you," Viggo said, glowering at Astrid. "I run a business. I won't lose my bounty." He then stared at Toothless, who was keeping a close watch over Hiccup as he kept resting on the boulder. "But," Viggo told Astrid, "I'd be more than inclined to watch your poor, fearless leader succumb to his illness. Now you wouldn't want that, would you?" He then stepped closer to Astrid, who looked about ready to destroy him. "Tell me, my dear," he asked. "What's it going to be?"

As much as Astrid wanted to protest with Viggo, she still wanted Hiccup to recover. So it mattered that she had to make the sacrifice.

To save Hiccup.

"All right, Viggo," Astrid said, sighing heavily. She closed her eyes. "You have my word."

Viggo smiled. "Smart girl," he said. "You can take the dragon, for all I care," Astrid told him. "But only under the condition that you let me get the Scourge remedy. I'm not gonna risk that loss, and neither do the other riders."

Hiccup noticed Astrid negotiating with Viggo. "Astrid, no," Hiccup mumbled. "Please. I...It's what he wants."

"Go ahead, Viggo," Astrid said. "You got what you wanted, now you give me what I want." "Now don't be so down, my dear," Viggo told Astrid. "At least I'm going to enjoy the fact that I've finally collected my bounty." Astrid glared at Viggo as she finally headed over to the Buffalord. It had been chewing on its herbs for a long time, and its saliva was finally getting a greenish tint.

The Buffalord then sensed Astrid approached, and uttered a low growl. "No no no, it's all right," Astrid whispered to it. "I won't hurt you." She then began collecting the dragon's green saliva as it dripped into the cup. Once the cup was full, Astrid joined up with Stormfly. "Come on, girl," Astrid told her. "Let's get this to Hiccup."

A few minutes later, Astrid and Stormfly flew over to where the other riders were. She then hopped off of Stormfly and hurried to Hiccup's side. "Bleh," Hiccup mumbled as he felt his breath getting shorter. "Shh," Astrid told Hiccup. "Here you go. Drink up." Hiccup then grabbed the cup and began drinking the saliva. He then swallowed the last drop in a single gulp. "There, that's it," Astrid said.

"Astrid," Hiccup told her. "I...I think...I..."

Astrid then noticed that Hiccup's skin was returning to its natural color. The cure worked!

"Hiccup!" Astrid said as she helped Hiccup to his feet. Hiccup stumbled a little, but he felt his strength coming back to him. He turned to Snotlout, who flinched back in surprise. Smiling, Hiccup gave Snotlout a pat on the back. Toothless panted excitedly as Hiccup joined him. "Hey, bud," Hiccup told him. "I'm glad to see you too." "You all right?" Astrid asked. Hiccup gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "I am now," he told her.

Viggo shook his head. "Now, isn't this touching," he said in disdain. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I must deliver this dragon to its destination," Viggo said. Then, he gave the signal to the other hunters as they moved the dragon to the ship. As they finally loaded the dragon, the ship began to sail away from the island and out toward the horizon.

Hiccup then noticed the ship sailing away. "No," he said. "The Buffalord...They're taking it away! C'mon, we have to go after them!" Hiccup then mounted Toothless and prepared to take off. But Astrid stopped him short. "Let them go, Hiccup," Astrid told him. "It's not worth the risk." "You let them get the Buffalord?" Hiccup asked. "You're saying we shouldn't go after them?" "You just got better, Hiccup," Snotlout told him. "You think we'd risk losing you to Viggo then?"

"Besides," Fishlegs told them, "they can't go that far..."

...

Meanwhile, the ship was now heading toward its destination. The dragon hunters then hoisted the sails as they began loading the Buffalord into the hull.

"Steady as she goes!"

A dragon hunter then turned to Viggo. "We've secured the dragon into the hull." "Excellent," Viggo told him. "Now that we've collected our bounty, we're sure to be rich in no time. Though it was disappointing to have to take that stupid lass's advice. Then again, she's just like that boy; always resourceful. That's a quality they both share."

Suddenly, the ship began to rumble and shake.

"What's going on?!" Ryker demanded. At that moment, the Buffalord began to burst out of it's cage, attacking the dragon hunters!

The Buffalord began attacking the dragon hunters, inflating its body and releasing its sharp spikes. The dragon hunters began scrambling around the ship, trying to avoid getting hit by the spikes.

"I should've known!" Viggo said. "Release the dragon! Now!"

The Buffalord then blasted fire from its mouth, blasting the ship into pieces. Then, it began to fly back to the island, where the riders where. As it touched down on the island, the riders cheered. Hiccup then walked over to the Buffalord and put his hand on its snout. "You finally decided to come back, didn't you?" Hiccup asked. "Least you made the right decision to stay on your island." The Buffalord purred softly as it rested its snout on Hiccup's hand.

"So Hiccup," Astrid said, "now that you've made a full recovery, is there anything else you want us to do?"

Hiccup smiled. "There is one thing," he said. Then, he whispered something in Astrid's ear. Astrid smiled.

...

Later that night, the riders had ventured out to the sea and flew to where the fishing boat was. They were lucky they had found it still in tact. Astrid slowly placed a tiny basket of flowers on the deck of the boat. Then, she flew back to the other riders.

Hiccup felt bad about the plague victims in the fishing boat, so he had decided to host a Viking funeral to give them the proper sendoff.

"In my eyes, I see my father, my mother, and my forefathers before me," Hiccup said, reciting a prayer for the plague victims. "May the Valkyries welcome them, for they are now gone. They gave their lives, and now they shall be welcomed to the golden gates of Valhalla, where they will take their rightful place in the Table of Kings next to the almighty Odin, for these men have fallen."

Hiccup then turned to the others as he readied his bow and arrow. He then fired the arrow, enveloped in flames, to the ship. The riders then fored their aroows onto the ship as the fire illuminated the ship.

Atfer the funeral, Hiccup and Toothless flew through the night sky, lost in thought. Then, Astrid and Snotlout joined them. "Whatcha doing, Hiccup?" Snotlout asked. "Nothing, Snotlout," Hiccup assured him. "Just thinking." "That's it?" Snotlout asked.

"Also Snotlout," Hiccup told him, "thanks." "For what?" Snotlout asked. "I didn't do anything." "You were the only one to volunteer to help Astrid out when the twins didn't. You oughta be proud," Hiccup said. "Consider yourself lucky I didn't infect you."

"What, that?" Snotlout asked nervously. "I got over that." He then left Hiccup and Astrid alone as he took off back to the Edge.

Hiccup stared at the sky, lost in thought. "Something on your mind, Hiccup?" Astrid asked. "I was just thinking," Hiccup told her, "after all that you and the others had gone through to find the Buffalord, and yet you let Viggo take it, knowing what will come next? I still can't believe you'd do all that for me."

"Come on, did you think I was going to let you die?" Astrid asked. "You're important to me, and to all of us. I didn't want that to happen. Because we all care about you, we can't think of what we'd do without you."

Hiccup smiled and chuckled a little. "And you know something else?" Hiccup asked. "Yeah?" Astrid asked. "I could've done the same for you," Hiccup told her, "because I could never imagine a world without you in it."

Astrid smiled. Hiccup always had a way of reassuring the best for her. Nodding her head silently and smiling, Astrid joined up with Hiccup as they took off toward the Edge on their dragons. Hiccup knew that Astrid always had a courageous fire burning in her, and being saved by her was the sweetest gesture he could ever imagine.


End file.
